Sister

Discord channel: https://discord.gg/pCmYRbK

________________________

As everyone gathered around the grand table that evening, they prepared themselves for the delicious meal they were about to enjoy. William had invited them all to dinner, and the atmosphere was very lively, filled with laughter and anticipation as they eyed the all the food before them.

Aiden, who had just finished meditating, felt so much hunger and eagerly joined the group. The food before him was different types of dishes made from both ordinary beasts, and various vegetables. There were also dishes made from the meat of magical beasts, prized for their ability to strengthen a warrior's body and serve as ingredients in alchemy and magical experiments.

As he ate, Aiden's gaze drifted over to Hu Zhao, who was also enjoying the food. Aiden couldn't help but sweat a little as he wondered about the nature of the meal. "Doesn't it bother him that he might be eating something from his own race?" he thought, feeling uneasy.

Noticing Aiden's expression, Hu Zhao let out a hearty laugh, drawing everyone's attention. "You're wondering if I'm eating my own kind, aren't you, Aiden? Hahaha! Don't worry so much. Not all magical beasts are like me or Seath. There's a whole hierarchy among us, you know."

Eldric, who had been listening in, nodded in agreement. "Hu Zhao is right. Magical beasts are broadly categorized into two types. There are the royal magical beasts, like Seath, who are born with intelligence and are direct descendants of divine or demonic beasts. Then there are the unintelligent magical beasts, who make up the majority of their kind and are often little more than slaves to the royals. They rely purely on instinct and only begin to develop true intelligence if they reach the ninth level."

The explanation seemed to ease the group's concerns. Saya who thought of something looked at Eldric and asked him, "How do the normal magic beasts evolve exactly?".

"That's a good question Saya", Eldric replied at her and said, "Unintelligent magical beasts typically grow stronger by consuming the magic crystals of other beasts, gradually advancing until they reach the ninth level. At that point, they require the blood of a divine or demonic beast to complete their evolution. Royals like Seath, however, don't need that extra boost since they already carry a powerful bloodline."

Alex, still chewing thoughtfully, asked, "But how do they even get those bloodlines? Aren't demonic beasts a kind of hybrid? How does that work with evolution?"

Eldric responded, his tone becoming more serious. "There are legends and theories. Some say the first demonic beast came from a magical beast that discovered the true blood of darkness. Others believe a powerful demon mated with a magical beast. As for divine beasts, it's said they found the true blood of light. But these are just stories—no one knows for sure."

Dian Long, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. "In ancient times, divine and demonic beasts existed alongside demons and angels. Whether they were hybrids or not, they've mostly vanished from our world. Only a few demonic beasts remain, and divine beasts are all but extinct."

Eldric agreed, adding, "The path of evolution is clear, though. Once a magical beast reaches the peak of the eighth level, they either need the blood of a divine or demonic beast to advance, or they inherit that power directly from their ancestors. Seath, for instance, is a descendant of the Moon Wolf, so his path was already set."

The room fell into a comfortable rhythm as the group continued to eat and converse, the initial tension over the meal fading away. Aiden finally felt relieved after hearing Eldric's detailed explanations. The idea of eating an intelligent creature had disturbed him, but now, understanding the distinctions, he was more at ease.

After dinner, everyone gradually retired to their rooms, eager to rest before resuming their journey in the morning.

-----------------------------------------

While the others slept, Saifon sat alone in the moonlit garden behind the mansion. His heavy sword, freshly used for training, lay beside him as he drank a potion to recover his strength. The cool night air and the tranquil light of the moon provided a rare moment of peace for Saifon, whose mind was usually consumed with only thoughts of revenge.

Saifon had grown up in Evlario City on Evlario Island, ruled by one of the three Dukes of Lefia Kingdom, Duke of the west Henrik Sung, William grandfather. Eight years ago, his life was shattered when he returned home to find his mother and younger sister brutally murdered. He couldn't even see their bodies as the locals already buried when they found them dead in the house. People told him about a middle-aged man and a young woman who had visited the house before they found them, but no one had seen their faces clearly. The killers left no trace, vanishing into the shadows, leaving Saifon with nothing but grief, hatred and a quest for revenge.

That day, Saifon's world turned dark. The warmth and joy in his life were replaced by a cold, relentless drive for vengeance. His emotions froze solid. He shut out the worldand anyone who tried to reach out to him, focusing only on growing stronger. The boy who once laughed and played with his sister was gone, replaced by a man with one purpose: to find and destroy those responsible for his family's deaths.

After the tragedy, Saifon left Evlario City, abandoning his former life. He wandered from town to town, taking on jobs as an adventurer. Jobs that would help him grow stronger. He chose the warrior's path, his natural talent pushing him far beyond his peers. In just eight years, Saifon achieved what most would consider impossible—he reached the beginner level of Martial King by the age of twenty, a feat that marked him as a prodigy, an anomaly in the world.

Despite his remarkable progress, his family's loss never left him. The faces of his mother and sister haunted his dreams, their voices echoing in his mind. He knew he was strong, but he also knew that strength alone wouldn't bring him peace. He needed answers, to find clues that would lead him to the killers.

Three years after leaving his hometown, Saifon found himself in the capital of Lefia Kingdom, where he met the second prince, William. For a brief time, Saifon found a semblance of normalcy in his friendship with William. The prince's straightforward nature and attitude that was the complete opposite of other nobles, made it easier for him to let his guard down, even if just a little. Together, they entered the tri-kingdom tournament, where Saifon's path took an unexpected turn.

In the finals of the tournament, Saifon faced a masked opponent. As the battle raged on, he shattered her mask with a powerful strike, revealing a face he thought he would never see again—his sister's. Saifon was paralyzed with shock, his heart torn between disbelief and hope. But before he could even process what he had seen, the girl surrendered the match and vanished from the arena.

After the battle, Saifon searched for her frantically, but she was gone, disappearing just as as she had appeared. The encounter left him more confused more than ever. If his sister was alive, why had she not come to find him? What had happened to her during those years they were apart? What about his mother? Is she alive with her sister? Saifon's quest for revenge now looked meaningless with a desperate need to uncover the truth behind everything that happened to his family.

In the two years that followed, Saifon stayed in the capital, as he wanted to gather intel using the help of William and the power of the royal family. He sought not only to find his sister whereabouts and understand why she had hidden from him but also to find the two persons responsible for this. His path was darker, but now, there was hope at the end.

The hope to find his sister and family. Now, It was this goal that drives him forward, to train and get stronger and have his own fate in his hands.

"Shirafilia," he whispered, the name of his little sister slipping from his lips. "Was that really you at the tournament? If you're alive, why didn't you come to find me?"

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. "Wanna chat a little, friend?"

Saifon looked up to see William approaching, a bottle of wine in hand and a warm smile on his face. The second prince, knew when his friend needed company.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, far from Baycoast Island, in a dark room lit only by the faint glow of a window, a tall, mature woman with scarlet hair and lynx-like ears watched from a glass window, a young girl fight in a white room. The woman, dressed in a long black leather skirt and a white shirt that revealed her chest, observed the girl with a mix of pride and calculation.

AN: [The best girl finally appeared. This is my favorite character even more than Aiden].

In the white room, a group of four fighters encircled the lone girl, their eyes filled with a mixture of anger and fear. The girl stood at the center, waiting for her enemies to attack her. Her expression was cold and emotionless, and she kept spinning her daggers effortlessly in her hands. 

Woosh Woosh

Her opponents, charged at her from all sides, but she was faster. With a flick of her wrist, her dagger deflected an incoming lance strike from above her. She twisted her body and drove her other blade into the attacker's face as it fell right in the middle of his forehead. The man gasped, his eyes wide with shock, before collapsing to the floor.

Another fighter lunged at her, throwing a fist strike enforced with mana, aiming for her head, but she ducked under the attack, sliding smoothly across the floor and slicing his legs out from under him. He fell hard, and before he could react, she plunged her rmaining dagger into his heart. The cold efficiency of her movements was terrifying, each strike delivering death with no hesitation or remorse.

As the remaining two fighters regrouped, they attempted to coordinate their assault, attacking her in unison. They leaped into the air, their lances poised to strike her from above. For a moment, it seemed they had her cornered, but the girl's expression remained unchanged. She didn't even look up as they descended upon her.

In a blur of motion, four thin, dark purple lances shot out from her back, extending like metallic spider legs. The lances moved with lethal speed, piercing through the chests of the airborne attackers with precision. They didn't even have time to scream as their bodies were impaled, blood spraying across the room. 

In the end, the girl stood alone in the center of the room, her breathing steady and her clothes stained with the blood of her enemies. The metallic spider legs that had emerged from her spine slowly retracted, disappearing back into her body as if they had never been there. The room was silent now, save for the soft drip of blood pooling on the floor.

The woman watching from behind the glass smiled, her lips curving into a satisfied smirk. The shadowy figure beside her remained expressionless, though there was a glint of something dark in his eyes. "She's as talented as her father and brother," the woman mused, a smirk playing on her lips.

The shadowy figure also spoke and said, "I thought we drew the short stick at the tri-kingdom tournament, but I was wrong."

the woman nodded and spoke to the shadow behind her, "She's ready. When the plan begins, she'll be our key to getting what we want."

-----------------------------------------

The next morning, as the sun rose over Wadya City, Aiden and the others prepared to board Aeliana and continue their journey to the Kederawen kingdom. The surprising news of the first princess' marriage had left them with little time to waste.

William, Saifon, and George came to see them off, though they wouldn't be joining the journey. The three had to return to the Leia kingdom capital first to deal with pressing matters, but they wanted to say their goodbyes.

"I hope you have a safe journey," William said with a smile. "If nothing unexpected happens, we'll meet again in six months at my sister's wedding."

Saya nodded, her voice warm. "I'm sure we will. Thank you again for dinner and your hospitality."

Aiden, never one for excessive sentiment, added, "Yeah. The food was good, so be proud of that."

Everyone laughed, exchanging farewells before heading to their respective rooms on the ship. Aiden joined Eldric on the bridge of Aeliana while Edvard prepared to pilot the Orion.

"Let's sail out!" Aiden shouted, his voice full of anticipation.

As the two ships moved away from the harbor, lifting into the air, William and Saifon watched them go. "I hope you have a great journey," William murmured, turning to Saifon. "Are you sure you don't want to go with them? After all, my intel says she's there."

Saifon's gaze remained on the distant ships, his voice quiet but resolute. "I'm sure. We'll meet again, and when we do, it'll be a great reunion."